- “The BDO Sustainability Movement” is an initiative led since 2021 by the firm's Global CEO – Keith Farlinger – and has the support and participation of the Global Leadership Team.
- It seeks to internalize sustainability as a cultural change in the people who make up BDO, so that they first live it and then can transmit it to all clients through our services.
In short, between both “historical” events, another much more transcendental event occurred with an even greater influence for all of us and the future generations that will inhabit our planet Earth.
On August 4, 1987, the report “Our Common Future” was published in the United Nations General Assembly – better known as the “Bruntland Report” because it was the result of the commission led by the three-time Prime Minister of Norway Gro Harlem Bruntland. – which had the objective of analyzing and questioning global economic development policies to propose a new development model, considering that social and economic evolution was representing a high environmental cost and an early climate and natural resource crisis. This commission – and its final report – was the first to use the concept of Sustainable Development and define it as “the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
That is the origin of this concept that today we all use quite generally and with endless meanings, some correct and others not so much. It has been 35 years since the Bruntland Commission and Sustainable Development – sustainability or sustainability – is “it” role model and has become a business strategy, internalized as part of project risk assessments and everyday life of all people – indiscriminately –, just to name a few of the ways in which this became an absolute reality.
“The BDO Sustainability Movement”
The moment for sustainability has arrived at BDO and “The BDO Sustainability Movement” is the global initiative with which – since 2021 – we seek to mobilize the entire organization towards this new paradigm with the goal of inspiring, educating and leading sustainable business practice. , both in the markets where it is present and within the organization.
The initiative is led by BDO Global CEO – Keith Farlinger – and has the support and participation of the Global Leadership Team with the vision of encouraging the entire BDO community to come together and adopt new sustainability practices; both in your personal and professional life and in advising our clients.
The commitment of the entire BDO community is key to the success of the “Sustainability Movement” at a global level and of all offices around the world. Likewise, the firm's commitment to its collaborators and to the initiatives that are implemented will make everyone feel proud to see BDO “doing the right thing” and to be part of that movement.
BDO's sustainability strategy requires the participation of its entire community because it involves the internal sphere of the firm and its offer of strategic services to all its clients and both fronts must be aligned. To this end, the movement led from the global office considers a work plan to support all offices in the network with guidance and tools to advance the integration of sustainability into their business and culture and the adoption of best social practices. , environmental and government. As for our clients, since 2021, a new line of strategic services called “Advisory ESG | Sustainability”, which is in full development to support them in the development of their future businesses. Australia, Holland, the United States, England, Colombia, and India have already taken the first steps.
To address this tremendous challenge, BDO refers to “sustainability” as the general term that brings together all its efforts to increase good practices and reduce their negative impacts in the ESG areas: Environmental, Social and Government; which is an internationally recognized framework to manage the risks and indicators that are included under each of these concepts.
Additionally, initiatives, commitments and policies guided by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have begun to be generated; which are the reference to execute the portfolio of support services to our clients in their own implementation of sustainability.
Joining this challenge in Chile we have begun our own journey to integrate this paradigm into our organization, work teams and strategic services. We are fine-tuning a work plan to make the “Sustainability Movement” part of our internal culture and we have begun to develop the new line of services “Advisory ESG | Sustainability”; both initiatives within the ESG reference framework and the United Nations Global Compact, which is the business entity that brings together thousands of organizations committed worldwide to the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs.
Considering that today the links between the world of organizations and environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns are indivisible – both in the interest of the teams themselves and their clients and stakeholders in general – we are giving a important step, creating value to move towards the sustainability of BDO and continue being “people helping people achieve their dreams.”
During the coming weeks you will have more news about the progress in Chile; the new portfolio of Advisory ESG services | Sustainability; our official commitment to the Global Compact; joining Acción Empresa (an organization dedicated to supporting companies in their implementation of sustainability); and the creation of a BDO Chile Sustainability Committee that will lead the management of the “Sustainability Movement” and the implementation of a series of initiatives.
Carlos Sepúlveda (Partner)
ESG Advisory | Sustainability
BDO Chile